The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recognizes a need for a coordinated research effort in emergency care that would focus on answering the questions faced by practitioners in their daily operations. This is a set of information needs that can only be identified by EMS practitioners themselves. From this as yet unidentified set of needs, a research agenda could be developed. EMS research is mandated under Section 1205 of the EMSS Act of 1973, Public Law 93-154 and the EMS Amendments of 1976, Public Law 94-573. To encourage research activities that focus on the felt needs of EMS practitioners, ACEP proposes to conduct a conference charged with these purposes: (1) to identify the information needs of EMS practitioners, and (2) to suggest a subset of those needs for which research derived data is desired. To achieve these objectives four topical task forces would be convened which, using nominal group process techniques would generate lists of information needs and research concerns. The four content areas are (1) prehospital care, (2) ED clinical issues, (3) ED administration and (4) EMS systems. The lists produced will be compiled as a proceedings.